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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Tennessee

Tennessee calls it the Certificate of Existence and charges $20. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Existence
State fee
$20
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Ordered online through TNBear the certificate costs $20 plus a portal service fee the state does not quantify, and the PDF is delivered immediately. The same tool prepares a printable request to post with payment, at $20 and no service fee, but Tennessee publishes no turnaround for the posted route
Issuing office
Tennessee SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. The Tennessee SOS will not issue a certificate while you have unpaid tax or an unfiled report. The state-specific requirements are in the points below.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the Tennessee portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $20 fee. Pay by card at checkout. A small card surcharge usually applies.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.

Would rather not deal with the agency yourself?

CorpNet orders the certificate for you
$69 service fee, plus the Tennessee state fee shown above · A filing service, not a registered agent. Ordering it yourself is cheaper and the steps above are the whole process.
Visit site ↗
Full ordering details for Tennessee

Tennessee charges $20 for this document under T.C.A. 48-249-1007(a)(32). THE NAME DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU WERE FORMED: a domestic LLC gets a Certificate of Existence and a foreign LLC gets a Certificate of AUTHORIZATION. The statute and the request form treat them as one product, "certificate of existence or authorization". Order online through TNBear at tnbear.tn.gov, which the state also brands Business Services Online, or by post using Form SS-4238. Certified copies are a separate $20. The TNCaB portal is used for annual reports, not for this.

Processing and expedited tiers: Ordered online through TNBear the certificate costs $20 plus a portal service fee the state does not quantify, and the PDF is delivered immediately. The same tool prepares a printable request to post with payment, at $20 and no service fee, but Tennessee publishes no turnaround for the posted route

Important to know about Tennessee

  • The TN LLC annual report fee starts at $300 (with $50 per member over 6, capped at $3,000) and is one of the highest in the country. Must be current - due by the first day of the fourth month after the LLC fiscal year ends.
  • Online orders add a small credit-card service charge on top of the $20 fee. Mail with a check avoids this surcharge but adds a few days.
  • Tennessee does not offer expedited service for the Certificate of Existence; online delivery is already immediate.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from Tennessee is what the new state asks for when your Tennessee LLC registers to do business there. Pick the state you are expanding into to see its exact filing, fee, and process.

Find your state-to-state guide · Registering an out-of-state LLC into Tennessee instead?

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available Tennessee Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Tennessee SOS before ordering.